


Hold On

by softeststarboy



Series: Bad Behavior [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Break Up and Make Up, Hunk kind of is too, Lotor is a real asshole, M/M, Misunderstandings, Protective Hunk (Voltron), Real sad boi hours for Kuro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 14:29:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softeststarboy/pseuds/softeststarboy
Summary: In the corner of my heart, deep in the corner of my mindI been keeping hope alive that you won't leave me behindEvery time I think that we're straightEverybody else wanna get in the wayI don't know what else I can sayBaby, I did everythingEvery little thing that I said I'd doThey don't know the things I been through with youOne more time, and I'm through with youPaint my heart, paint it black and blue





	Hold On

**Author's Note:**

> I'm posting this super late, but better late than never right? I hope y'all enjoy this one!

Kuro groans and pulls himself up from his cramped position on Lance's bed in hopes of stretching out his tired limbs. He loves Lance, but damn is his bed uncomfortable. 

Lance wasn't feeling up to trekking over to Kuro's small house so Kuro decided to stop by after his classes. They watched a few movies and he  _ tried _ to get comfortable but Lance's bed is just too damn small to comfortably fit the both of them. He'd much rather be back at home in his own bed that's big enough for the both of them to comfortably spread out. 

“I think I'm gonna head home babe,” Kuro yawns, stretching further as he stands. 

Pouting, his boyfriend reaches out and grabs his hand, “do you have to?” 

Humming he leans down to press a gentle kiss to Lance's cheek, “yeah, I need to get some sleep, I have an early shift in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner.” 

Lance watches as Kuro slides on his shoes and jacket. He presses one last kiss to his lips before sliding out of the door and leaving Lance alone in his small dorm, wishing he'd just stay for once. 

His loneliness is cut short when Hunk slips into the room, probably back from a date with Shiro. 

“Where's Kuro?” Hunk raises an eyebrow and kicks off his shoes. 

“Went home, he has an early shift.” 

Rolling his eyes Hunk sits down on his bed, facing Lance, “Or he just doesn't want to spend time with you.” 

“If he didn't want to spend time with me he wouldn't have come over in the first place. You're being ridiculous.” 

“Well, did you put out?” 

“Excuse me?” Lance sits up crossing his arms over his chest. Its none of Hunk's business whether they had sex or not. 

“Maybe that's why he didn't stick around, wanted to go off and tell everyone about it.” 

Lance slumps back down into his bed he knows that isn't what Kuro’s going to do. They didn't even sleep together, only cuddled and watched movies… maybe that's why he wanted to leave because he wasn't putting out. Shaking his head he clears his thoughts, he knows Kuro's better than that. 

“Why do you hate him so much, Hunk?” 

Rolling his eyes once more his roommate sighs, “you really can't see it? He's a complete asshole, Lance, he's just using you.” 

“I really don't think he is. You don't know him the way I do.” Even as he says the words with confidence he pulls a pillow to his chest to hug for comfort.

“If you know him so well why did Shiro give him $20 after your first date?” 

Lance pales, his throat feeling a lot drier than it did a moment ago, “What are you talking about?” 

“Apparently they made some bet about Kuro going out with you,” he shrugs, “I guess he didn't want to go out with you without some kind of incentive.” 

Chewing on his lips tears fill his eyes, he doesn't know if he should trust Hunk's word. They've been friends for years, but he's never liked Kuro much, this could just be his way of getting him out of Lance's life. 

“I think you should just get out of this relationship before he does something to really hurt you.” 

“You're wrong about him… he wouldn't do something like that. Not to me.” Squeezing his eyes shut he turns his back to Hunk, trying his best to block him out as tears wet his cheeks. 

 

—

 

“You feeling okay?” Kuro breaks the silence between them and places his takeout container on the coffee table. 

Swallowing hard Lance nods, “I'm fine, just a little distracted.” 

“You know you can talk to me, starlight.”

“I know, Kuro, it's nothing. I'm going to head out soon. I don't want to bother you with my stupid problems.” 

Frowning Kuro cups his boyfriend's cheeks, “Your problems are never stupid. I'm here for you, Lance, you  _ can _ talk to me.” 

Nodding, Lance places his hands over Kuro's. 

“Stay the night?” Kuro offers, thumb brushing his cheek softly.

“Are you sure you want me to?” He raises an eyebrow, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Of course, I love when you stay over, starlight.” Grinning Kuro leans in to steal a quick kiss. “We can watch some movies and just cuddle in my bed, keep things relaxed.” 

Humming, Lance rests his forehead against the other's, “that sounds really nice.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

Lance tries his best to ignore what Hunk said the night before, but it always seems to creep back into his mind. If Kuro really didn't care he wouldn't have asked him to stay the night, right? 

  
  


— 

 

Lance rounds the corner to the atrium of the science building, rushing for his group study session, but stops short at the mention of his boyfriend's name. He steps back, keeping himself hidden behind the wall. He can  _ barely _ see the two men sitting in the plush chairs with their feet kicked up on the small table.

“Did you hear that Kuro is actually settling down with someone?” The man looks over at his friend who Lance believes to be Lotor. 

Lotor scoffs, “as if Kuro would settle down with anyone. He's clearly just messing with him. Using the poor guy as a loyal fuck toy, only there to get what he wants. Probably bragging to all his friends about everything he lets him do to him. I'm sure he'll get bored of him soon and go back to fucking anyone willing to spread their legs for him.” 

The other man nods in agreement, “You're probably right. You think he'll come crawling to you?” 

“Of course he will, I'm sure he's heard by now how well I treat my partners.” 

Lance has heard enough, he turns on his heels and walks right back out of the science building, deciding the study session isn't that important. Maybe Hunk really is right about Kuro. 

 

— 

 

Kuro frowns, tapping his fingers against his desk while he waits for a text from Lance. The two have been seeing each other for quite some time at this point, but as of late Kuro hasn’t been able to get ahold of him. He always seems to be busy, or never in his dorm when he drops by. When he does see him in class he slides out of the room before Kuro even has the time to put his notes away. He’s beginning to think that Lance is avoiding him on purpose. 

Slipping his phone into his pocket he decides on stopping by his boyfriend’s dorm one more time to see if he can actually get something out of him, or at the very least his roommate. Grabbing his jacket off the coat rack he makes his way across the campus, enjoying the cool breeze on his face. 

The walk is short, he and Shiro were able to snag a small house right on the edge of campus with rather low rent for what it has, not many people want to live so close to a bunch of college kids. Sucking up all his pride he jogs up the two flights of stairs to Lance’s room, hoping to god he’s actually in his dorm for once. 

Kuro chews on his lip, running through everything in his head. He’s not too sure what to say, he doesn’t exactly know how to handle being ignored by a boyfriend, granted he hasn’t had many in the past. Sighing he decides to bite the bullet and just get it all over with and knocks, trying not to make it sound like he’s desperate to see Lance. Even though he is.

Lance opens the door, the small grin lining his lips falling almost immediately. 

“What are you doing here?” He asks in an annoyed tone, folding his arms over his chest. 

“I just wanted to see you. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for like two weeks now… did I piss you off or something?” 

Rolling his eyes Lance moves to shut the door, only for Kuro to use his foot to stop him. 

“Seriously, Lance? Why can’t you just talk to me?” Kuro groans, his patience wearing thin. He’s not exactly experienced in how relationships are  _ supposed _ to operate but he’s certain this isn’t right. 

“I don’t have to fucking answer to you, Kuro! I don’t see why you even care, it's not like we’re together or anything! You only wanted me for  _ one _ thing and we both know it. God, I don’t see why you think we need to spend so much time together when you were just using me as some fucktoy,” Lance says through gritted teeth, his fists balled tightly, “ _ You aren’t my fucking boyfriend _ . You don’t have to keep tabs on me, and even if you  _ were _ my boyfriend you still wouldn’t need to, I can do whatever the fuck I please.” 

Surprised, Kuro doesn’t know what to make of everything Lance just spit at him. He feels like he runs through the five stages of grief at hyperspeed, solely based on his facial expressions. First, pain courses through Kuro’s veins, he thought he and Lance were on the same page about their relationship. The pain soon morphs into anger, completely unable to process why he would think they were anything other than boyfriends. Lance’s words play over and over again in his head, cutting deep and leaving him feeling raw.

“Starlight, I—” 

“Cut it out with the lame nickname. I know you only started using it to butter me up,” shaking his head Lance sighs, “can’t you just leave me alone, already?” 

“Right… why the fuck would I want to spend time with someone like you anyway.” Running his fingers through his hair Kuro storms off, his emotions beyond his control at this point, leaving him unable to stop the tears. Wiping his face on his jacket sleeve he all but runs back to his house. 

He bursts through the front door of his house, not caring if Shiro sees how much of a mess he is. Yanking off his jacket and shoes he leaves them in a heap by the door. Ignoring his brother’s calls for him, he makes a beeline straight to his bed, curling into himself under his covers, not wanting to face the world anymore. One of the best parts of his life is gone just like that, without any explanation or reason. 

He loses track of just how long he’s been curled up crying, he’s not sure if it had been an hour or just a couple of minutes, but he’s already feeling exhausted from it. Peeking his head through the door Shiro gives him a sad smile. 

“Hey, I’m not sure what’s got you down, but I made you some hot cocoa, and made us both dinner. I promise I didn’t burn it this time.” He makes his way into the bedroom and takes a seat on the bed. 

Sitting up Kuro tries his best to put on a brave face and pretend everything is okay, but he knows it's no use, the brothers know each other better than the backs of their own hands. 

They eat their dinner together in his room, in nearly complete silence. Kuro’s grateful Shiro isn’t pushing him to talk about anything, yet. Setting down his plate on his nightstand he wraps his arms around his brother, pulling him into a tight hug while more tears quietly escape down his rosy cheeks. 

Despite being surprised by Kuro’s sudden switch, Shiro doesn’t question it and hugs him back almost immediately, rubbing circles into his back. 

“Hey,” Shiro whispers, not wanting to be too loud, “I don’t know what’s going on, and I promise I won’t pry, but I want you to know I’ll be here whenever you’re ready to talk about it.” 

Kuro nods, letting out a pained sob. His mind feels numb, the pain of rejection the only thing he can feel. 

“Shh, I got you.” Hugging him closer Shiro frowns, he hates seeing his brother so fucked up. He’s seen him hurt before, but never this upset. He’s never even hugged him like this before, always choosing to keep his space and deal with things on his own. 

The brothers stay huddled together until Kuro tires himself out. Feeling like he has no more tears left to cry he detaches himself from Shiro. He sinks back into the comfort of his blankets, no longer paying attention to what Shiro’s doing around him. Eyes growing heavier by the second he decides to let sleep take him in hopes of feeling a little better when he wakes up. 

When he does wake up hours later he doesn’t really feel anything. He's thankful he doesn’t feel like crying anymore, but he also doesn’t feel like facing the world. Staying cuddled up in his bed for a couple of days sounds like a dream. 

Pulling himself out of his bed he sets out, intent on finding Shiro, feeling like he’s ready to get everything off of his chest. He knows holding it all in won’t do him any good. 

“Takashi?” He calls out, stepping out of his room, quietly closing the door behind him. 

“In the living room, you alright?” Shiro's voice carries through their small house. 

“Not really,” he sighs, making his way down the hall and over to the couch, “I think I'm ready to talk about it now, though.”

Nodding, his brother makes room for him in his cocoon of blankets, “Just talk, I won’t say anything unless you want me to.” 

Kuro sighs and rests his head on Shiro’s shoulder, “Lance dumped me.” 

“He what!?”

“I thought you were going to keep quiet,” he glares up at his brother. 

“I’m sorry but what the fuck,  _ he _ broke up with  _ you _ ? I thought if you two were going to separate it’d be because of your dumbass.” 

“Apparently my dumbass wasn’t a very good boyfriend, to begin with.” He swallows hard, trying not to break down all over again, “I’m such a fucking idiot, according to him we didn’t even have a relationship and I was just using him as some fucktoy. I thought we had something good going on, I thought I was treating him right. I don’t… I don’t see why he would think I was only in it for the sex. I fell in love with him and now it's all over.” He wipes his tear-stained cheeks, his heart absolutely aching. 

“I guess he let the rumors get to him.” 

“Those rumors fucking suck. He thought I was a hoebag when we met… but he still let me kiss him. I guess I wasn’t able to change his mind beyond that night after all.” 

“I don’t see why you couldn’t. You were always a perfect gentleman, and I know you wouldn’t try anything with anyone unless they actually wanted it.” 

Kuro sighs and shakes his head, “I guess I just wasn't right for him… but this really fucking sucks, Shiro, I really did fall in love with him.” 

“I know you did, buddy.” 

Frowning Kuro snuggles up to his brother, “thanks for being here.” 

“I always will be.” 

 

— 

 

Lance sighs and falls onto his bed. He misses Kuro. He knows he shouldn't, but he does. 

“It's been weeks. He wasn't worth your time, Lance.” Hunk frowns, looking at his roommate from his desk chair.

“What if he was though? What if I made a mistake?” Sitting up he rubs at his eyes. He could've at least given him a proper explanation other than 'you're using me’. He can't believe he'd let himself be swayed by Hunk's harsh judgment and what he's  _ apparently _ heard from Shiro. 

“You know he hasn't been showing up to class lately? What if this really is taking a toll on him? What if you were wrong about him? What if I made a mistake?” 

“If he really cared about you I doubt he would've been sharing your sex life with anyone and everyone like it was nothing. Maybe he's finally showing everyone who he really is by not showing up.” 

Curling in on himself Lance feels sick, he can barely believe he actually let himself trust Kuro. He really can't believe Kuro would share such intimate details with anyone. Of course, it was all just a game to him. Just a way to get laid. He doesn't get why Kuro tried to drag it on for so long, wasn't there anyone else he could've messed with? Anyone else he could have 'dated’ all for some stupid bet?

“I don't… I don't know why he would tell people. I thought he was better than that.” 

“I told you he wasn't Lance,” Hunk exhales sharply, “I told you when you first started seeing him that he wasn't worth it. When you had sex with him I told you he was just going to hurt you.” 

Lance nods, burying himself in his blankets, why couldn't Kuro be a better man? 

“You'll find someone else, I promise.” 

“Yeah,” he sighs, closing his eyes in hopes of getting some rest before his shift. Knowing all he really wants is the Kuro he thought he knew back.

 

— 

 

“Kuro,” Shiro's voice is quite as he pushes open the door to his brother's room. 

He finds Kuro sitting up on his bed, pack of cigarettes in hand, ready to go out and smoke.

“I thought you quit?” 

“I did, but what's the point when the person I quit for walked out of my life like I was nothing like I never meant anything to him?” 

“Kuro, you should quit for your own well being and health not because Lance wanted you to,” he sighs, sitting next to Kuro on his bed. 

Kuro tenses his jaw, his grip tightening on the cigarettes in his hand, “I know that, Takashi, but he pushed me to quit. He was there for me when I needed him… and now he's just gone.” 

Shiro sighs, “you need to start moving on. It's been almost three weeks since he officially dumped you and like a month and a half since he even acknowledged you two were together. It's time for you to find someone else.” 

“Yeah whatever, if you set something up I'll go. That doesn't mean I'll be happy about it.” 

Shiro smirks, “I already did, you have a date tonight.” 

Kuro looks at him fire in his eyes, “tonight? Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“Yup, with Lotor at 6:30 at Black Rock.” 

“Black Rock? You do know Lance works there right? How is that supposed to help me get over him?” 

Shiro shrugs, offering Kuro an innocent smile, “maybe you can talk to him.” 

Groaning Kuro falls back on his bed. Of course, Shiro did this on purpose. There's absolutely no way this could end any way other than horribly. 

 

—

 

Kuro leans against the wall of Black Rock, impatiently tapping his fingers against his arm. Lotor was supposed to show up 15 minutes ago, but he's just left Kuro standing outside looking like a complete idiot to anyone that walks by. 

“Hey,” Lotor grins, waltzing up as if he weren't late at all. 

“It's nearly 6:50, where the hell were you?” 

“Don't worry about it,” he practically purrs into Kuro's ear. 

What the hell did Shiro get him into? He bites down his ill-mannered comments and, against his better judgment, leads Lotor into the restaurant. Everything should be fine if they just avoid Lance.

Unfortunately for him, they get sat right in his section.  _ Just be nice and don't say a word _ . 

The second Lance sees Kuro his smile drops for a brief second then morphs into something completely and obviously fake. 

“Hello, I'm Lance and I'll be your server tonight,” Lance greets them. His voice sounds so sweet, but the look on his eyes anything but nice. 

Tensing under Lance's intense gaze his mouth goes dry. 

“What would like to drink tonight?” 

“Just water please,” Kuro manages to croak out. 

Lotor only nods towards Kuro, too invested in his phone. 

“So two waters, hm?” Lance looks back to Kuro, his eyes telling a short story of 'why the hell are you out with this tool?’ 

“Please,” Kuro affirms, not missing the side eye Lance gives him as he walks away from the table. 

“Ugh, that guy sucks,” Lotor groans, finally putting his phone down. 

Shaking his head Kuro has to disagree, Lance may have broken his heart and maybe upset they're here, but that doesn't mean he won't do his job right. 

“Lance is great. We're in good hands.” 

“Yeah, whatever you say, Kuro.” 

He rolls his eyes, paying no mind to Lotor's stupid opinions, “Uh, I'm going to find the restroom real quick.” He moves to stand, hoping to find Lance so they can talk, and find him he does when Lance slams right into his arm with two glasses full of water. Water spills all over Lance's shirt, at least it's black… and the glasses didn't break, but Lance is totally soaked and  _ totally _ pissed. 

“Oh my god,” Lance's voice cracks. 

“Lance, I'm so so-” 

“It's fine, Kuro… it's fine.” 

He can see the tears beginning to shine in Lance's eyes and he feels  _ awful.  _

“Just sit back down, okay? I'll have someone else bring out your waters while I dry off a little.” 

Kuro nods, his throat going dry once more. What kind of mess did Shiro get him into? He could've just stayed home and avoided all of this. If Lance didn't hate him before there's no way he doesn't now.

“Kuro, I know it was an accident.” Lance looks at him, urging him to sit back down.

“I'm sorry.” 

“I know you are,” Lance sighs, “I'll be back out soon.” 

The frown on his lips deepens as he takes his seat across from Lotor. This was a mistake. He watches Lance walk away from the table empty glasses in hand and taking any hope of Kuro mending their relationship with him. 

“He's so pathetic. He definitely isn't getting a tip now,” Lotor scoffs. 

“Are you kidding me? That was my fault and you think he doesn't deserve a tip? If anything he deserves a better one.” 

“You're only saying that because he used to be your little fucktoy,” Lotor smirks, sitting back in his chair. 

“He was my  _ boyfriend. _ He isn't some toy. He's better than that.”  _ Shiro is so dead. _

The air around them is tense but neither one of them make a point to leave. 

Lance finally comes back around and his shirt is a little dryer, but it still looks highly uncomfortable. Kuro can tell he was crying and it makes him feel even worse. If he's working his normal shifts he should be getting off fairly soon. Maybe Kuro will actually have a chance to talk to him.

Lance takes their orders with no problem, but Kuro can see how hurt he is. His eyes give it all away. 

The end of the 'date’ rolls around and Kuro has never had a worse time in his life. Plus, Lotor refused to chip in at all on the bill, and  _ everyone _ knows he has money. He simply leaves without saying much of anything. Kuro's honestly just glad to finally have him out of his hair. 

Kuro pulls an extra $40 out of his wallet for Lance's tip and grabs a clean napkin. On the napkin he writes, ‘I'm sorry for the way things turned out tonight. I know $40 doesn't make up for anything I've done but I hope you can forgive me. You still mean to the world to me. I love you, Lance. - Kuro.’ He even draws a little heart on it for good measure. 

Checking his watch he walks out of the restaurant, the cool evening air on his face is like a breath of relief. 

Not wanting to leave, Kuro peeks back inside the restaurant. He can see Lance reading the note. He crumples it like he's going to throw it away but ends up shoving it into his pocket instead. Kuro counts it as a win and leans against the wall of the restaurant, digging into his pocket for his cigarettes. Lance should be coming out any minute now. 

He lights up a cigarette and takes a long drag. He gets about halfway through it when Lance walks out of the door, looking like a man on a mission. 

“Lance wait!” He quickly puts out the cigarette and tosses it into the nearby ash bin.

Lance sighs, but turns around to face him anyway, “what do you want, Kuro? Haven't you ruined my night enough?” 

Kuro frowns, taking a step closer to Lance, “I wanted to apologize. We shouldn't have come here. Hell, I should've just stayed home because this was one of the worst dates I've ever been on. You know his cheap ass made me pay for everything? He didn't even want me to leave you a tip.” 

“Yeah, everyone knows Lotor is an asshole, it isn't exactly news. Is that all you wanted? To prove to that you aren't a complete piece of shit because you tipped your ex fucktoy well?” 

“No, wait, fucktoy? We're still on that?” 

Lance rolls his eyes, “That's all you ever wanted right? Just a quick and easy fuck before moving on to the next quick lay?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I  _ love _ you, Lance. This date meant absolutely nothing to me. I didn't even want to go on it.”     
Lance shakes his head, a few tears already sliding down his cheeks, “Do you really expect me to believe that? I'm not falling for your bullshit anymore."    
Kuro frowns, wanting so badly to reach out and wipe away Lance's tears. "You seriously think I would just use you like that? Jesus, Lance, I knew you believed the rumors before, but I thought you saw me for who I…” he sighs running his fingers through his hair. “I thought you trusted me once we got together. I know we had sex a lot but it wasn't right away. It wasn't what I wanted from you. I wanted to be with you because I actually fucking care about you, Lance. I know I'm not the best at relationships but damn it, I was at least trying."

“I can't believe you,” Lance says through gritted teeth, “your date didn't turn out so now you’re trying to butter me up for an easy lay? Seriously?” 

Both of them are glad no one is around to see them yelling at each other. They probably would've gotten  _ a lot _ of strange looks if this happened within the walls of the restaurant. 

Kuro's really starting to get irritated with this whole situation, “Lance, if I wanted to fuck Lotor I wouldn't have bothered with some stupid ass date.  _ He's _ an easy lay. This whole thing was Shiro's stupid idea. He said it'd help me get over you since he was sick of seeing me the way I was…” he trails off, ashamed of how much he's let himself go in the last few weeks “If I wanted you just as an easy lay I wouldn't have invited you over so many times, I wouldn't have let you stay the night, and I definitely wouldn't have eaten that ass like a cupcake, babe." He winks, hoping to lighten the mood between them. 

Lance rolls his eyes, taking a step closer to Kuro, “You really don't just want me for my body?” 

“I never have, and I never will. I don't think you realize just how much you mean to me, Lance. I was becoming a better man with you by my side.”  Kuro reaches out, gently grabbing Lance's hand to give it a light squeeze. 

“If you didn't use me, then why were you telling people about our sex life?” He takes his hand back, folding his arms over his chest. 

“Excuse me? The only person I ever talked to about that was Shiro, and even then it was just about our first time… I only told him how hard I was falling for you, really. I don't think that constitutes as telling people about our sex life.” 

Lance hums, he really should stop believing everything Hunk tells him, especially about Kuro. “What if I said no sex until further notice?”

“That's more than fine with me as long you come home with me tonight.” Kuro takes Lance's hands in his, flashing him a hopeful smile. 

“I don't have any clothes with me.” 

“Like that's stopped you before.” 

“But that was when we-” 

Kuro groans, “I don't care about sex! I care about you and I really just want to take you home and fall asleep with you in my arms again. I'll even make you hot cocoa, and we can watch those cheesy romcoms you love so much.” 

A small smiles spreads across Lance's lips. “Fine, but you better have whipped cream for my cocoa.” 

“Anything for you, starlight.” Kuro presses a quick kiss to Lance's cheek then leads him over to his black jeep wrangler. 

“No motorcycle today?” Lance questions, as they get into the car. 

“Nah, haven't been feeling up to it lately.” Kuro places his hand on Lance's thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze before heading home. 

Lance inhales sharply, grabbing Kuro's hand off of his thigh to lace their fingers together instead. 

The ride to his house is mostly silent and a little bit awkward, Lance still has things he wants to say but isn't sure how to get them out.

They barely set foot in the small house before Lance is at it again, “What about the bet?” 

Dropping his keys into the bowl Kuro raises an eyebrow at Lance, “What bet?” 

Lance sighs and shakes his head taking a seat on the couch.

“I’m not a mind reader, I have no idea what you're talking about.” 

“I'm not stupid, Kuro. I know you only went out with me in the first place to win a bet.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kuro groans and plops down on the couch. “Lance, I was alone when we met. I was alone when I got your number. Who the hell would I have made a bet with? And  _ why _ would I make one anyway? I've never lied about my feelings for you.” 

“Then why did Shiro give you $20 after our first date?” Lance glares at him, folding his arms over his chest. 

Kuro's eyebrows knit together, “How do you even know about that?” 

“Hunk,” Lance says simply turning away from Kuro.

_ Of course.  _ Hunk has pretty much hated him since the day they met. He tried to be nice since Shiro loves him so much, but with the constant cold glares he eventually just stopped trying altogether. 

“No offense, but your roommate is kind of an asshole. He didn't hear the full story, he probably just heard Shiro complaining about owing me $20, which I used on our second date by the way.” 

“Why was there a bet about going out with me anyway? Was I not good enough for you to go out with without incentive?” Lance's eyes burn, tears threatening to escape for the third time tonight. 

“Starlight, the bet had nothing to do with not wanting to go out with you,” Kuro frowns, reaching out to cup Lance's cheek, “Shiro said I was going to end up sleeping with you before our date ended so I bet him $20 I wouldn't and won, obviously. I didn't want to sleep with you that night anyway, with my reputation I didn't want it to seem like I was only in it for the sex.” 

“Oh,” Lance's voice is small, “Hunk made it seem like Shiro bet you $20 to go out with me. He made it seem like you didn't want me at all.”

“If you get a chance you should ask Shiro how nervous I looked before going out with you. I changed three times before I settled on an outfit.” Kuro smiles softly, taking Lance's hands in his. “I love you, Lance.” 

Nodding Lance scoots closer to Kuro, wrapping his arms tightly around him, “I'm not ready to say it.” 

“That's fine, starlight, you being here is enough for me.” 

“I should've just talked to you instead of pushing you away.” 

“Yeah, that would've saved us from some heartbreak, but this is our chance to start over.” Nodding Lance buries his face in Kuro's neck, breathing in the scent of his cologne. 

Kuro holds him close, his nose buried in Lance's hair, even though he's been sweating he still smells  _ really  _ good. 

“Stop,” Lance groans, “I'm gross and sweaty.” 

“Why don't we take a shower, then?” 

“ _ We? _ ” Lance raises an eyebrow, “Already going back on what you said?” 

“No, baby, I just want to hold you under the warm water,” Kuro confesses, still holding Lance close. 

Lance hums, “make it a bath and we have a deal.” 

Grinning he pulls Lance off of the couch, pushing him towards the bathroom to get their bath ready while he grabs some clothes for them. He finds a pair of sweats Lance left over some time ago and grabs one of his own shirts for him to wear, loving how cute his boyfriend looks in his baggy shirts. Kuro even finds a bath bomb he bought for him before they had their falling out. 

Pushing into the bathroom he finds Lance leaning over the bathtub, his naked body on full display. Ignoring the stir of arousal in his pants he places their clothes on the counter and strips down himself. 

“I found a bath bomb,” Kuro finally speaks up, facing the counter so his stiffening cock isn't so noticeable. 

“Sounds nice,” Lance sighs, not bothering to turn around as he stands straight and turns off the water. Glancing over his shoulder he folds his arms over his chest, “You aren't doing a very good job if you're trying to hide that.” 

“I'm sorry, I have a hot boyfriend.” Kuro throws his hands up. 

“Boyfriend already, hm?” Lance raises an eyebrow and grabs the bath bomb off the counter. 

“In a perfect world, we never would've broken up in the first place.” Slipping past the other man he slides into the warm water, his muscles relaxing slightly. 

Lance hums and seats himself in front of Kuro, leaning back against his chest as he drops the bomb into the water. 

Pressing a kiss to Lance's neck Kuro gently massages his shoulders, melting away the stress from his shift. 

Lance spends the entire bath wondering when the ball will drop. When Kuro will go back on his word and try to get him into his bed, but it never happens. 

Now they're fully clothed in Kuro's bed, Kuro's fingers gently combing through Lance's still damp hair. 

“Kuro?” 

The other hums in lieu of a response, his fingers coming to a stop. 

“If you love me so much why didn't you ever stay the night with me?” 

“Because your bed is too small. I could hardly get comfortable, even when we just cuddled.” 

Lance rests his head on Kuro's chest, gripping his shirt, “Oh… why didn't you ever say anything?” 

“I figured it wasn't a big deal. I thought you knew that you're always welcome to stay here, so I didn't see me not staying in your dorm as a big deal. Clearly, I was wrong.” 

“It's not a big deal. I just let Hunk get to me too much.” 

Kuro hums again, running his hand up Lance's back, “you should talk to him about all of this. I get that I have my reputation and all, but I don't get why he hates me so much. I've been trying my best to make you happy.” 

“You've been pretty damn good at it… I just let everyone else get inside my head.”

“I know. Most people don't even stick around for as long as you have. There's always someone there to tell them I'm not worth their time and I'm just going to end up hurting them. I really thought you were different.” 

Sighing, Lance grabs Kuro's hand, rubbing little circles into it with his thumb, “I'm so sorry I pushed you away.” 

“Just… talk to me next time, please? I don't want to lose you over things we easily could've talked about and worked through. I love you  _ so _ much, I don't want what other people think of me to get in the way of our relationship.” Kuro's voice is low, he tries to keep it from cracking but ultimately fails, his pain evident in his tone. 

Lance nods, curling closer to Kuro, listening to his steady breathing and the gentle thump of his heart. Soon enough they end up switching positions, Kuro's head resting on Lance's chest so he can play with his hair until he falls asleep. 

Staring up at the ceiling Kuro's pain starts to really set in for Lance. Little stars now decorate his ceiling, looking quite similar to the one's Lance has in his own room. Squeezing his eyes shut he tries to forget all of the pain he caused, but he can't seem to shake it. He loses track of time, lost in the stupid little stars until he gets tired of lying there feeling like the biggest dick in the world. 

He glances over at the alarm clock on the nightstand, 5:16 screams at him in harsh red numbers. Slowly peeling himself up from the bed he's careful to not wake his sleeping boyfriend. He creeps out to the kitchen to check the fridge for anything to make an apology breakfast out of. Of course, he only finds milk, butter, and ketchup. Honestly, he doesn't know how these boys live. Sighing he makes his way to the living room and steals Kuro's jacket, keys, and slides, deciding to head to the store and grab a few things and get back before Kuro even wakes up. 

 

— 

 

Kuro eyes flick open, a wave of confusion washes over him as he realizes Lance isn't next to him like he was when he fell asleep.

Sucking in a deep breath he pulls himself from his bed, hoping he'll be able to find him somewhere in the small house. He peeks his head out of the door, all of the lights are still off.

“Lance?” His voice carries through the quiet house. With no answer he moves out of his bedroom, checking the bathroom before wandering out into the living room. His heart sinking with each passing moment. 

“Lance?” He calls out again, his voice louder but not as steady, breaking much like his heart. 

He doesn't bother trying to stop the tears, the pain of Lance leaving already setting in and cutting deep. 

With a broken sob, he sits in the middle of the living room, not even bothering to go back to his room. He pulls his knees to his chest and releases all of his pent up emotions. How dare Lance come back into his home just to leave again like he really never meant anything to him. Like their relationship was nothing. 

“Kuro?” Shiro comes into the room, leaning down to wrap his arms around his brother. The commotion must've woken him up.

Kuro doesn't answer, only wanting to curl into Shiro's warm embrace. 

“What's going on? Talk to me, buddy.” 

“Lance,” he croaks out, voice hoarse and wrecked, “he left me.” 

Shiro frowns, running his fingers through Kuro's hair, “Was the date with Lotor that bad? I thought you were finally starting to get over Lance.” 

“He was here, Shiro! He came home with me… he made it seem like we were going to get back together and now he's just gone. Like I really don't mean anything to him.” 

“I had no idea he was even here. Did you guys… you know?” 

Shaking his head Kuro tries to wipe his tears away, “I told him it wasn't all about sex for me. He even said no sex until further notice, he gave me hope just to crush it.” 

Shiro swallows hard, knowing no matter what he says it won't help the way his brother is feeling right now. “If he's going to do something like that then he doesn't deserve you, Kuro.” 

“He just… he means—” the sound of the door opening and closing cuts him off, catching the attention of both of the men.

“What's going on?” Lance stands in the doorway, holding a bag of groceries in his hand. 

Shiro sighs and pulls himself from Kuro's tight embrace, “I'm going back to bed, it's way too early for this shit.” Shaking his head he disappears back into his bedroom. 

Frowning Lance sets his bag down by the door and scurries over to his boyfriend. 

“I thought you left.” Kuro allows himself to be pulled into Lance's arm. 

“I did? I just went out to get breakfast… Shit I should've left a note, I had no clue how bad it would look if you woke up and I was just gone,” he sighs, running his fingers through Kuro's hair. 

“Please don't leave me.” Kuro's voice breaks while he pleas.

Lance's heart breaks at how worn down Kuro sounds. He pulls him closer, peppering little kisses over his face. “I promise I'm not going anywhere.” 

Humming Kuro cups Lance's cheeks, drawing him in for a gentle kiss filled with so much love. 

The two stay sat on the floor until their butts get sore and their stomachs rumble. Kuro  _ tries _ to help Lance cook breakfast but he finds standing behind him with his arms wrapped around his waist a much better option. Shiro eventually creeps back out of his room, lulled by the sweet scent of berry pancakes. 

They eat their breakfast sitting close, paying no mind to Shiro's glares when they share giggly little kisses. 

Lance finishes off the rest of his pancakes and pushes his plate away. He stands and plants a sticky kiss on Kuro's cheek, “I have to get going, I have class soon.” 

“You can't just stay?” 

“Maybe if I had more clothes here I could come back after, and even stay more often.” Lance grins, moving to place their dirty breakfast plates in the sink.

“You aren't just saying that to get his hopes up, are you?” Shiro butts in, raising an eyebrow at Lance. 

“What he said.” 

Shaking his head Lance slides on his shoes, “I promise I'm not. We can meet up after my class and you can help me bring back some clothes.” He offers his boyfriend an easy smile, taking his hands in his own. 

Kuro grins, leaning in to gently kiss Lance, ignoring the gag from Shiro. 

“So, it's a date?” 

“Mhm, I'll see you later.”

“Later babe.” Lance leans in for one more kiss before leaving the two brothers to their own devices. 

“I'm glad you're happy and all, but can you guys  _ not _ be gross for 10 minutes?” 

Kuro rolls his eyes and throws his wadded napkin at his brother, “Be sure to remember that next time you're making out with Hunk on the couch and I'm trying to eat my cocoa puffs.” 

Shiro grins, “I'm glad you have him back. You two really work well together.” 

“Thanks, Shiro.” 

Patting his brother on the shoulder Shiro heads back to his room, leaving Kuro alone to wash the dishes, giving him time to himself. He quickly realizes he only has about an hour and a half to clear enough space for Lance to fit his clothes. With a smile on his face, and a spring in his step, he hurries to his room to prepare it for Lance. Maybe he'll have time to stop and buy him a present if he hurries.

  
  



End file.
